“Which one is My Father’s Shadow?”
“Did we even watch it?”
“Where can we watch it?”
These were the reactions on the night My Father’s Shadow won 5 out of its 7 AMVCA nominations at the recently held ceremony.
My Father’s Shadow will now return to Nigerian cinemas for a limited run on June 5 (still distributed by FilmOne Entertainment) after renewed conversations around the film led to calls for a wider release in Nigeria since its initial release in 16 states in September 2025.
Set to be released ahead of this year’s Democracy Day, the re-release campaign will also include archival materials, behind-the-scenes content, cultural events and merchandise tied to the film.
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Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., the film won AMVCA Best Movie, Best Director, Best Writing in a Movie, Best Score/Music and Best Sound Design, which sparked wider public interest in the film.
In the days following the awards, discussions around the film spread across social media, with many viewers saying they had missed its first run in cinemas or only became aware of it through its performance on the festival circuit and awards recognition. The conversations also reopened opinions about the theatrical visibility of auteur-driven Nigerian films and how long they remain accessible to local audiences.
More discussions on the topic centred around the eligibility and national identity in African cinema, with some questioning whether My Father’s Shadow should have competed in the awards due to its co-production structure involving British production companies and international financing. Others argued that the film’s Nigerian setting, creative leadership, themes, and cast arguably positioned it within contemporary Nigerian cinema.
Set in the aftermath of the June 12, 1993, election crisis, My Father’s Shadow follows two brothers (Godwin Egbo & Chibuike Marvellous Egbo) spending the day with their estranged father (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) in Lagos during a politically tense moment in Nigeria’s history. The date has been recognised as Nigeria’s Democracy Day since 2019, and the June 5 re-release places the film back in cinemas just ahead of the anniversary.
Speaking on the film’s AMVCA wins, Davies Jr. described the recognition as unexpected, especially as he was unable to attend the ceremony in person, thanking the jury for seeing the film the way they did. “And to the audiences — especially those discovering the film as it returns to cinemas — thank you. Your response has been the real award. Come back to the big screen. That’s where she lives,” Davies Jr. said.
Funmbi Ogunbanwo (producer and CEO of Fatherland) alongside Wale Davies (writer and Fatherland co-founder) said the timing of the re-release ahead of June 12 creates an opportunity for audiences to revisit the story collectively and engage with conversations around memory, history and national reflection. “There’s something powerful about watching this story in a room full of our people here in Nigeria, as we approach June 12.”
Ladun Awobokun, Chief Content Officer at FilmOne Entertainment, said the company saw the re-release as part of its commitment to supporting films with both artistic and cultural relevance, adding that the goal was to ensure “that audiences at home connect with the same story that has captivated the world”.
Since its 2025 Cannes world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section and Camera d’Or special mention, My Father’s Shadow has screened at several international festivals and gained critical acclaim, winning at the British Independent Film Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, Gotham Independent Film Awards, as well as nominations in the NAACP Image Awards, London Critics Circle Film Awards. It ranked first place in our annual critics’ poll.
An Element Pictures production in association with Crybaby and Fatherland, My Father’s Shadow is currently available on MUBI in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Italy, Turkey, and Argentina.
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